6 Best Walking Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis

Being up and about can be really difficult if you have plantar fasciitis or heel pain (in layman’s terms). There’s nothing good or pleasant about plantar fasciitis, except maybe its medical nomenclature, which sounds a little bit fancy to my ears.

Nevertheless, plantar fasciitis can reduce your quality of life if you leave it untreated — and it is more common than you think. Most people experience some form of plantar fasciitis (let’s call it PF from now on) at one stage of their lives or another. It’s just that the pain goes away in a short period of time that it’s barely noticeable.

Why do People with PF need special shoes?

There’s a tissue underneath the foot called the plantar fascia. It extends from the heel to the toes, giving balance to the feet. When this tissue is inflamed or irritated, PF happens. This can give you a painful heel as well as cause your foot to swell up. And like any other type of muscle injury, it is treated by packing it in ice or by resting it for some time.

Ideally, you cannot tie a bag of ice around your feet to work or class or for a long time, so the other choice is more sensible and realistic. Resting this tissue for a while helps it to regain its strength which in turn gets rid of the pain and swelling.

However, in resting your fascia, you need to be able to walk around and do some stuff at the same time, as it takes a long time (months in some cases) for this special tissue to heal completely. For this reason, special shoes were designed for people with PF. This way, the fascia gets less stressed and also has a little cushion to rest on when they’re walking.

This is why it is recommended that you use a walking shoe if you have PF.

Walking shoes for plantar fasciitis: Things to consider before buying

Before you splash your cash on just any Walking Shoe out there, what are the things you should consider first?

How big is your budget? You should think about this first before settling on a particular Walking Shoe.

How high is the heel on the shoe? Is it high enough for you? The higher the heel, the more comfortable you’ll be.

Does it have enough cushion for your toes? Some shoes don’t have enough toes cushion and makes you feel like you’re walking barefooted, although the heel is well protected.

Check the sole of the shoe to see if it offers enough friction so you don’t lose your footing when walking on wet surfaces.

It’s always a good thing to know a bit about what you want to buy before heading to the store.

Best walking shoes for plantar fasciitis: Our top 6 picks

Walking shoes for PF aren’t unisex- you can’t just don one on and be on your merry way. Some of these shoes are more suitable for men while others are appropriate for ladies.

The Orthofeet 410 is built of leather, with about three foot layers inside for comfortable walking. The insole is really soft and light, is gel padded and has an anatomical arch design. These enable it to form around the contours of the heel when in use, which cushions your step and alleviates the load on your fascia and the pain in your strides.

The inside is padded with foam, has a seam-free lining and gets rid of pressure points on the feet. This Walking Shoe also has a wide toe box and the soles are skid proof. Overall, it has an extra-depth design for maximum comfort.

What we like about it

It has replaceable insoles. If you use custom orthotic insoles, it’s a plus for you.

Sports an oxford design

Really long-lasting

It’s a multipurpose orthotic shoe. Apart from PF, people with diabetic feet, metatarsalgia, hammer toes and arthritic feet can use it.

What we don’t like about it

We don’t have anything bad to say about this product, and many of its users will agree with us.

Overall, it has an attractive leather design which looks appealing to the eye. The lace is short and adds to the design, apart from tightening the shoes on your feet.

Inside is a contoured orthotic insole which is responsible for all the comfort your feet will feel. The insole has an arch in the middle to support the fascia and reduce the stress on it. The insole is also made of an anti-microbial fabric with lots of foam. The heel is buoyed to give the sole a soft landing and reduce pain when walking.

The shoe is made to be lightweight so people won’t feel its weight when walking.

What we like about it

Soft seam-free interior lining

Lightweight and soft

Attractive design

Sturdy build

What we don’t like about it

It’s hard to see the fault in this walking shoe, it seems perfect all round.

It is made of leather, like the others, and in addition has a rubber sole to improve friction on a variety of surfaces. It has a podiatrist design, with biomechanical othotic footbeds that help realign the feet. The midsole is flexible and lightweight. It acts as a shock absorber to reduce pressure on the ankles, feet and heels.

Best plantar fasciitis shoes for women and ladies

The Orthofeet Lake Charles Comfort Orthopedic Walking Shoe has a basic oxford design and looks like it means business. Made out of soft leather and foams, it bears the properties expected in a comfortable walking shoe. There’s an extra foam-padding around the ankles as well as a protective lining.

It has a high heel, the inside is padded with foam to alleviate the weight on the feet’s pressure points and there’s enough room for your toes as well.

The orthotic insole is contoured, with an anatomical arch support and gel-padded heel-seats which are about a half-inch tall.

The Orthofeet 851 Women’s Comfort Diabetic Therapeutic Extra Depth Shoe is different from other Walking Shoes on many fronts. First of all, it doesn’t sport laces like others- instead there’s a two-way strap system placed around the outside ankle. Apart from this, it is made from fabric and leather, instead of leather only. That’s why its Mary Jane design looks simpler, with a Breathable Mesh — four little holes around the little toes — to allow air in.

Like other great walking shoes out there, it has a contoured orthotic insole with an anatomical arch support and gel padded heel-seats which form around the contours of the feet.

There’s also a protective lining and extra foam padding around the ankles with enough room for the toes upfront as well. The heel is about a half inch high.

What we like about it

Mary Jane design

Breathable mesh to prevent the feet from heat

Adjustable two-way strap system- you can easily slip it on or off

Removable shoe liner

What we don’t like about it

We have nothing to say here. The shoe is pretty fantastic, unless you seriously dislike Mary Janes.

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